Dishwasher rack guide

ABSTRACT

Rack guides are provided for the rear corners of a dishwasher rack to minimize or eliminate lateral movement of the rack as the rack moves into and out of a dishwasher. In one embodiment, each guide includes a member with a base mounted on the rack and a surface to engage the inner sidewall of the dishwasher tub. Legs are provided on the base to stabilize the rack guide. In an alternative embodiment, the guide includes a wheel rolling along the inner sidewall of the dishwasher tub.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Dishwashers historically have at least two racks which are adapted tomove between a retracted wash position within the washing chamber and anextended position outside the washing chamber for loading and unloadingdishes and other objects to be washed. The racks typically includewheels or rollers for rolling movement along tracks or guides to theretracted and extended positions. Normally, the roller systems thatcarry or support the rack are provided with some looseness, particularlyin the side-to-side or lateral directions, due to the space or gapbetween the sidewalls of the rack and the sidewalls of the tub orwashing chamber. Such looseness in the roller systems is desirable so asto prevent binding, and to eliminate small gaps between parts that mightaccumulate food particles which may reduce wash performance or createodors over time. However, the looseness may cause objects in the rack toshift from a desired location during movement of the rack, therebydecreasing the washing effectiveness or damaging the objects.

Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is theprovision of a dishwasher rack guide for minimizing lateral movement ofthe rack as the rack moves into and out of the washing chamber.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of adishwasher rack guide which can be quickly and easily mounted on therack to minimize lateral movement of the rack relative to the dishwashertub.

A further objective of the present invention is the provision of adishwasher rack guide which snap fits onto the rack to minimize lateralmovement of the rack relative to the sidewalls of the tub.

Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of animproved dishwasher rack having guides mounted on the opposite sides ofthe rack for engagement with a sidewall of the dishwasher chamber tosubstantially preclude lateral movement of the rack relative to thechamber.

These and other objectives will become apparent from the followingdescription of the invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The dishwasher rack guide of the present invention includes a pair ofmembers, each being, mountable onto one side of the rack adjacent therear corners so as to extend laterally outwardly for engagement with thevertical sidewalls of the dishwasher tub. Although the members can beformed as projections in the rack side wires, preferably, each membersnap fits onto the rack for quick and easy mounting. One or more legsextend from each member and engage a rack wire to prevent movement ofthe member. The member may include a wheel or roller for engagement withthe tub sidewall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dishwasher rack having rack guidesaccording to the present invention mounted on the rear corners of therack.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the rack with the guides of the presentinvention mounted thereon.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the rack guides of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the rack guide.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the rack guide.

FIG. 6 is a partial top plan view of the rack showing an alternativeembodiment of the guide with a wheel.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the alternative embodiment of therack guide.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment wherein therear ends of the rack side wires are outwardly formed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a conventional dishwasher rack 10 having a bottom 12,a front 14, a back 16, and opposite sides 18. Rollers 20 are provided oneach side of the rack 10 to rollably support the wire rack 10 on tracksmounted or formed on the sidewalls of the conventional dishwasher tub(not shown).

The present invention is directed towards a pair of rack guides 22,which are mounted on each rear corner of the rack 10. In the preferredembodiment, each rack guide 22 is a one-piece molded member adapted tosnap fit onto the rack 10.

More particularly, as seen in FIGS. 3-5, each rack guide 22 includes abase 24 with a recess 26 adapted to snap fit onto a wire of the rack 10.A substantially semi-circular curved surface 28 extends from the base 24and around the recess 26 for engagement with a sidewall of thedishwasher tub. A pair of legs 30 extend forwardly from the base 24 andterminate in clips 32 which are adapted to engage another wire of therack 10 to stabilize the rack guide 22.

It is understood that the surface 28 may have shapes other than thesemi-circular curve shown in FIGS. 3-5. It is also understood that thepair of legs 30 may be formed as a single leg, without departing fromthe scope of the present invention.

In use, the surface 28 of the rack guides 22 engages the respectivesidewall of the dishwasher tub, thereby minimizing or substantiallyeliminating the side-to-side movement of the rack which is otherwisepresent. Thus, as the rack 10 is moved in and out of the tub, thelateral movement normally present due to the looseness of the rollerassemblies is precluded by the engagement of the surface 28 with the tubsidewall.

FIGS. 6 and 7 shown an alternative embodiment of a rack guide 34. Theguide 34 has a body 36 mounted on the rear corner of the rack 10. Awheel 38 is mounted on a vertical axle 40 on the guide 34. The wheel 38is adapted to roll along the inner sidewall to the dishwasher tub topreclude or minimize lateral movement of the rack 10.

Thus, the rack guides 22 and 34 function to minimize or eliminatelateral movement of the rack 10 as the rack is moved into and out of thedishwashing tub or washing chamber. The function of the rollers 20 arenot affected by the guides 22, 34.

As shown in FIG. 8 another alternate embodiment would be to form anoutwardly directed radius or projection 42 in the rear of the upper wireof each side of rack 10A. These projections would engage the sidewallsof the dishwasher tub in a manner similar to guides 22 and 34. It isunderstood that while the projection 42 is shown to extend substantiallyin a horizontal plane, the projection 42 could also be formed so as toextend in a substantially vertical plane.

The invention has been shown and described above with the preferredembodiments, and it is understood that many modifications,substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intendedspirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seenthat the present invention accomplishes at least all of its statedobjectives.

1. A rack guide for a dishwasher rack having opposite sides, a front anda back, and being movably supported on tracks mounted on oppositevertical sidewalls in a dishwasher, the rack guide comprising: a memberassociated with the rack and extending laterally outwardly forengagement with the dishwasher vertical sidewall.
 2. The rack guide ofclaim 1 wherein the member snap fits onto the rack.
 3. The rack guide ofclaim 1 further comprising a leg extending from the member and adaptedto engage the rack and prevent movement of the member.
 4. The rack guideof claim 1 further comprising a pair of legs extending from the memberand adapted to engage the rack to stabilize the member.
 5. The rackguide of claim 1 wherein the member is integral with the rack.
 6. Therack guide of claim 1 wherein the member includes a wheel for engagingthe vertical sidewall of the dishwasher.
 7. The rack guide of claim 6wherein the wheel rotates about a vertical axis.
 8. An improveddishwasher rack comprising: a wire rack with a front, a back, andopposite sides; and a pair of members on the rack, each being adaptedfor engagement with a vertical sidewall of the dishwasher tosubstantially preclude lateral movement of the rack.
 9. The dishwasherrack of claim 8 wherein each member snap fits onto the rack.
 10. Thedishwasher rack of claim 8 wherein each member has at least one legextending therefrom to engage the rack and thereby substantiallypreclude movement of the member.
 11. The dishwasher rack of claim 8wherein the members are integrally formed in the opposite sides of therack.
 12. The dishwasher rack of claim 8 wherein each member includes awheel to roll along the vertical sidewall of the dishwasher.
 13. Thedishwasher rack of claim 12 wherein each wheel rotates on a verticalaxis.
 14. The dishwasher rack of claim 8 wherein each member is mountedadjacent a rear corner of the rack.
 15. The dishwasher rack of claim 8wherein the rack includes upright wires upon which each member ismounted.
 16. The dishwasher rack of claim 8 wherein each member includesa curved surface for engaging the dishwasher sidewall.
 17. Thedishwasher rack of claim 16 wherein the curved surface of each memberextends about a vertical axis.